Patterson had been an Ohio State commitment, but he backed out a little over a week ago. His move to Clemson, however, appears to have been years in the making, though Patterson didn’t receive an offer from the Tigers—until recently.

“With everything that was taking place at Ohio State, it just cracked the door for this opportunity,” Patterson told 247Sports. “Coach (Lemanski) Hall stayed close the past two years keeping that relationship in place with me and Coach Martin. I just felt it was best to back away at that time and really pray with my family about it and we just felt like Clemson was the best decision for me going forward.”

Patterson is the 9th-ranked inside linebacker in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite.